End of the Line
by Ruthie
Summary: Sam and Jack have an arguement which threatens the future of SG-1...and the life of one of it's members.
1. Default Chapter

Title: End of the line (part one) A friend in need

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Sam and Jack aren't talking to each other after an argument. This results in the capture of an SG-1 member. Will they be rescued in time, or will harboured grudges hold them back? (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part one: A Friend in need ~

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

********** 

Sam Carter walked down the SGC corridor looking studiously at the floor. All of the corridors looked the same, with the same grey walls and doors, the same uniformed officers marching around in them. 

In her blue uniform, Sam looked and felt a little out of place in the dark and dreary corridor. The bright colour of her clothing certainly wasn't reflecting the colour of her emotions. No, at that moment, Sam's soul was as grey and depressed as the walls. 

She and Colonel O'Neill had not been speaking for several hours. General Hammond had not yet realised, but she knew that he would be pissed when he did. 

Teal'c had noticed the tension between them, and it worried him. Since Daniel Jackson's ascension, Jack had become a LOT more agitated and Sam had become more withdrawn, sitting in her lab and working through the night, which agitated O'Neill even more. 

Teal'c had made it his business to re-build bridges between the two of them, but it was proving to be a mammoth task. 

"I do not understand why the two of you are no longer communicating, O'Neill. You have been friends for six years."

"Teal'c, I'm really not in the mood for this talk right now, so if you don't mind…" 

"General Hammond will be displeased if he realises that the line of communication between yourself and Major Carter has been damaged. He will not let us resume our duties as SG-1 until the two of you have ressolved your disagreement." 

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen, Teal'c." 

"O'Neill, will you not please explain to me the reason you are so agitated with Major Carter? Perhaps then I would understand your reasons for not communicating." 

"Well…" 

Just then, someone appeared at the door who annoyed Jack more than Carter did at present. Jonas Quinn. The young man who had filled Dr Jackson's place in SG-1. In Jack's eyes, he was still responsible for the archaeologist's death. 

"What?" he asked in exasperation. 

"General Hammond wants to see SG-1 in the briefing room, sir. He said it was urgent." 

********** 

Sam sat down wearily in her chair. Jonas sat to her right, Jack and Teal'c across the table from her. Jack would not even acknowledge her presence. She swallowed, and tried to concentrate on the briefing, though her heart was beginning to ache. 

"SG-1, thank you for coming on such short notice. We have just received word from the Tok'ra that Apophis' ship has moved into orbit around Vorash." 

"Oh my God," said Sam. 

"Does the ship appear to be moving into an attack position?" asked Teal'c. 

"Yes, Teal'c, I'm afraid it does." 

"Well, have they requested any help? I mean, we could…" 

"Carter! I am sure the Tok'ra can look after their own asses! They tell us that enough times!" 

"But Sir, I…" 

"Your _father_ is one of them, Carter, I'm sure he can look after his own butt too." 

Neither General Hammond nor Dr Frasier liked the tone of Jack's voice when he said that. Sam definitely didn't like it, and felt compelled to stand up and give her arrogant CO a piece of her mind. Then she remembered that the added pressure of an insubordination charge would not do her fragile physical and mental state any good, and swallowed the barrage of insults she had been planning. 

"So far the Tok'ra have not requested help, but…" 

"General, why are we here? We all know that the Tok'ra are arrgoant b…" 

This was too much for Sam. "No, they are not," she said, unable to keep the ice from her voice as she looked at her CO. 

"Most of them," he said, in an attempt to quiet his 2IC. 

As they argued, the computer screen was obscured by a blast of fire and a loud banging sound. They promptly lost their telemetary. 

General Hammond looked at Major Carter. She was pale and looked exhausted, but there was also fear in her eyes. 

"General, please, the Tok'ra have helped us in the past, and…" 

"Didn't you hear him, major? They don't want our help!" Colonel O'Neill shouted the last part of that sentence. 

"Colonel O'Neill, stand down! Major, we will wait 24 hours and send a MALP." 

"But, General, by then we…" 

"No buts, Major. I'm sorry about your father but it's the best I can do." 

"Yes sir," Sam looked at her hands. 

********** 

After the briefing, Jonas made his way to Sam's lab. He found her there, sitting at her desk and typing furiously on her computer. She managed a small smile when he came in. 

"Hey Jonas." 

"Hey Sam." Jonas shuffled his feet uncomfortably. He wanted to ask her about Colonel O'Neill, but he didn't want to offend her. 

"You wanna know what's gone on between Colonel O'Neill and me, dontcha?" she asked, smiling at his look of embarassment. 

"That obvious?" he asked, hands in his pockets. 

"We had an argument, Jonas. I don't understand his behaviour any more than you do. I've known the man for six years, for cr- Gods sake." 

She looked down at the keyboard again. 

"Sam, I hope your dad's okay," said Jonas, "I'm sure they'll be fine! They're way more superior than we are, and…" 

"Thanks, Jonas," Sam smiled, then added, "You hungry?" 

"Yeah!" said Jonas. 

"C'mon! The comissary should be quiet at the moment," said Sam, turning off her computer and following the eager Jonas out of the room. 

********** 

Teal'c saw Jonas and Sam enter the comissary. He smiled slightly as he saw Jonas make a beeline for the Jello. Sam came over and sat down opposite him. 

"So…" said Sam, trying to start a conversation. Teal'c merely cocked his eyebrow. Jonas came over and sat down next to Sam, then began stuffing spoonfuls of Jello into his mouth, to the disgust of some airmen on a nearby table. 

"You are concerned for the welfare of your father and Martouf?" said Teal'c. 

"Yeah," said Sam, pausing to watch Jonas enjoying his jello. 

"They have escaped death a great many times in the past, Major Carter." 

"So has Apophis," said Sam wearily. 

"I do not understand Colonel O'Neill's current attitude towards both you and the Tok'ra crisis, Major Carter. Could you explain it to me?" 

"We had an argument, Teal'c. I don't know what else to say." 

"Human emotions," said Jonas, through a mouthful of Jello, "Who'd have 'em?" 

Teal'c cocked his eyebrow. Sam smiled. 

"Yeah, Jonas, you have a point there." 

********** 

Jack O'Neill sat, angry, alone and bored in his room, throwing a scrunched up ball of paper repeatedly against a wall. 

"Damn Tok'ra," he thought out loud, "They're in deep trouble and they're too damned arrogant to ask for help. Well, screw them!" 

He left the piece of paper on the floor and rolled over onto his bed, beating the pillow into shape and closing his eyes. However, sleep was a long time coming to him that night. His argument with Carter raged around and around in his head, keeping him from sleeping. 

********** 

The next morning, Sam was up at 5am. She couldn't get back to sleep, so instead she got up, showered and changed into her uniform. She still had four hours before they would send the MALP through to Vorash. 

She began to wonder how Apophis could have got the gate coordinates for Vorash. Then her mind flashed back to the time on Netu. 

SG-1 and Martouf had gone on a mission to retrieve Jacob who had been captured and tortured by Seth. Their first attempt at escape had almost worked, but they had unexpectedly been re-united with Apophis, who then tortured them further for his own pleasure. 

She remembered being held down, the thick, red blood of Sokar being forcibly poured down her throat. The terrible memories of her mother's death had seemed frighteningly real, until she had realised that something wasn't quite right. 

She was pretty sure that she hadn't given Apophis any information, and Martouf had given him a false planet to deter him. Perhaps he had used the Blood of Sokar again, on less vigilant peoples. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Janet Frasier. 

"Sam, what are you doing up? It's 5:30am!" 

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted. 

"I suppose it's a miracle you slept at all," said Janet, "I've half a mind to send you back to bed, young lady!" 

Sam smiled. "Anyway, what are you doing up, Janet?" 

"I have an infirmary to prepare," she said. 

"Need a hand?" Sam asked. 

Janet looked at her for a moment, then decided it was time that her friend opened up to her about the behaviour of her Colonel. "Sure," she said. 

********** 

A couple of hours later, when Sam was too anxious to be handling syringes any more, she made her way to the briefing room. She was surprised to see that Teal'c was already there. 

"Major Carter. We will soon find out whether we will be able to help the Tok'ra." 

"Yes," she said, pacing nervously. She was even more surprised to hear Jack walking into the briefing room, _early_. 

"Morning campers," he said. "Where's our little friend Jonas?" 

"He will be arriving shortly, O'Neill." 

"Well, why don't you tell him not to bother. I'm sure their technologically superior asses will not be requiring our help here." 

Sam looked at the floor. General Hammond walked in. 

"SG-1, we are preparing to send the MALP." 

Sam raced down to the control room and waited anxiously for the gate to engage. The MALP's progress up the ramp was devestatingly slow. 

As it passed through the gate, Sam's eyes flicked up to the monitor on the wall. 

"Receiving MALP telemetary in 5,4,3,2,1…" 

"Oh my god," said Sam. 

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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	2. End of the Line 2: A Step too Far

Title: End of the line (part two) A step too far

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Meridian

Summary: Following on from part one, SG-1 attempts a recon mission to help their allies, but the ongoing conflict between Sam and Jack leads to one member of the team being captured. (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part two: A step too far ~

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

**********

"Oh my god," said Sam. 

The MALP telemetary showed that Vorash had been burned to the ground. A few buildings smouldered in the distance, waves of sand blowing into the dying fires. 

"Jaffa staff weapons," said Teal'c grimly. 

"Are there any life signs?" asked General Hammond. 

"Uh…MALP reports no signs of life, sir, at least not nearby." 

Sam put her head in her hands. 

"Request permission to visit Vorash and attempt to locate any survivors," said Teal'c. 

"Permission granted," said General Hammond. 

"General, is there really any point…" began Jack, but Hammond silenced him with a warning glare. 

"I want you ready to ship out in 10!" he ordered. 

********** 

Sam numbly pulled on her boots and tightened the laces. Her weapon felt heavy in her hands. All of her thoughts were trained on her father and Martouf. 

Jack saw the concern in her face and realised what a great blow this had been to her. He felt bad about his comments from the previous day. 

Teal'c was also anxious, but was soon distracted by Jonas, asking him for another energy bar. 

********** 

As Sam stepped through the gate on Vorash, the smell of burning trees mixed with the eerie smell of burning bodies assaulted her nostrils, making her eyes sting. She marched on, trying not to make eye contact with any of her teammates. She missed Daniel at times like these. He was the sensitive one, and he would always have something to say to make her feel better. 

Teal'c set his mouth in a firm line. Things did not look good for Jacob Carter and Martouf. 

Jonas looked around him, devestated at the destruction. He even stopped thinking about food. 

As Sam took another step forwards, she found herself being ringed down into the Tok'ra tunnels. The situation there was desperate. There were several injured Tok'ra laying against walls, shouts and running. 

Jack, Jonas and Teal'c followed Sam down into the tunnels. They were all slowly being destroyed as those who could move were fleeing through the Stargate. 

Sam searched around the tunnels, looking for some sign, any sign of her father or Martouf. She found none. Instead, she set about trying to help some of the injured. 

"Who did this to you?" she asked. 

"A…apophis. He knew where to find us, I do not know how. You must leave!" 

"Why? I mean… do you know where Martouf and Selmak are?" asked Sam. 

"I…I have not seen them since yesterday, but I believe they are still here, wounded." 

"Where??" Sam asked desperately. 

"I am sorry, I cannot tell you. You must leave, in case Apophis decides to return." 

"You heard the woman, Sam," said Jack, "Let's go, people!" 

"No!" said Sam, "I will not leave my father here to die!" 

"That's an order, Major!" said Jack, growing angry now. 

"Well you make it known that I disregarded your order then, _colonel_!" said Sam, and ran off down one of the remaining tunnels. 
    
    "Carter! For crying out loud!" said Jack, and began to follow her. 

"O'Neill, was the purpose of this mission not to retrieve Jacob Carter and Martouf?" 

"Yeah, Teal'c, but if Apophis is here that changes things slightly!" said Jack. 

"I do not feel his presence, O'Neill," said Teal'c, "I believe the damage is done!"

"Samantha!" called a familiar voice. 

"Martouf!" said Sam, rushing to his side. "Martouf, are you okay? Where is my father?" 

"Samantha, he…he has been taken on board Apophis' ship!" 

"WHAT??" asked Sam. "But…his ship's gone!" 

Martouf shook his head. "It was merely cloaked!" 

Just as he said that, the tunnels began to shake. 

"Apophis' ship descends!" said Martouf weakly. 

"We gotta go, people!" said Jack, turning round to make a run for it. 

"I'm staying Colonel," said Sam. 

"No, Major, you are not!" 

"Apophis is on top of us, Colonel! If we make a run for it we'll be killed!" 

"We'll be killed if we just sit here and wait for him!" 

"I won't leave Martouf!" she said. 

"Carter, if I have to drag you…" 

"I'm staying," she said. 

Just then, they heard the familiar marching of Jaffa soldiers. Sam pulled Martouf into her arms and made for a cover area with Jack, Jonas and Teal'c. 

"Carter, if we get out of this alive, remind me to bust your ass!" said Jack. 

The group of Jaffa stopped and looked around them. "Apophis has the Tok'ra Selmak, but it has come to his attention that four of the Tau'ri have also come to be here. He wishes them captured alive." 

"Kree!" 

The Jaffa then walked off in the other direction, which was strange. Just as they were about to come out from their hiding place, they heard the rings activating. To Sam's horror, her father Jacob was laying on the floor, bleeding. 

"Dad!" She tried to move, but Jack grabbed her arm. 

"It could be a trick," he saud. Sam sat still, and they waited for a great few minutes. Nothing happened. 

"Okay people," said Jack, "I think we're okay." 

Sam got up and ran over to her father. Jonas, Teal'c and Jack followed her. 

"Dad?" she asked. 

"Sam," he murmured weakly. 

"It's okay, dad," she whispered, "I'm here!" 

But just as she said that, the rings activated again and before Jack could do anything, Sam and Jacob were beamed up. 

"Crap!" said Jack, "Tell me they didn't just go where I think they just went!" 

********** 

An evil smile greeted Sam and Jacob. 

"Lovely," was all he said…. 

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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	3. End of the Line 3: Face from the Past

Title: End of the line (part three) Face from the past 

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Following on from part two, Sam and Jacob are captured and tortured by an old nemesis while the rest of SG-1 try to save them. (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part three: Face from the past ~

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

**********

"Lovely." 

Two of the Jaffa dragged Jacob away somewhere, whilst the remaining two held Sam in front of Apophis. 

"We meet again, Tau'ri! I must thank you, your information provided to me was most useful." 

"I didn't tell you anything!" said Sam. "And I won't this time either!" Apophis just smiled evilly. 

"Jaffa, kree!" said Apophis, and Sam soon found herself being dragged in the same direction as her father. 

She was thrown into a dark room, the doors sliding shut behind her. She immediately went over to the huddled figure of her father. 

"Dad?" she asked. 

"You should not have remained. Now we will both die," said Selmak. 

Sam swallowed. "I couldn't leave you there to die. Either of you!" 

"Sam?" It was Jacob. 

"Dad! It's okay, I'm here." 

"It's not okay," Jacob paused to cough, "We're on Apophis' ship, we're about to be tortured, things can't get much worse!" 

"C'mon, dad!" Sam smiled weakly, "We got outta this before!" 

"There were six of us before, Samantha. We will almost certainly die." 

"Selmak, please…" Sam began, but she cut her off. 

"Your decision to remain with your father was noble, Samantha, and I am sure that he would have done the same for you, but it was not made in the hopes of our preservation." 

"How are you?" asked Sam, "Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?" 

"I must first heal myself, and then I can begin healing your father. All I can ask you to do is talk to him, keep his spirits high." 

"Okay," Sam breathed heavily. 

"And Samantha? You must not give away any information to Apophis! Do you understand me?" 

"Of course I understand, Selmak, I've been through this before, remember!" 

"Yes, but Apophis now knows your weaknesses. He will know how to hurt you!" 

Just then, the sound of approaching Jaffa footsteps silenced them. The doors slid open. 

"The woman will come with us!" said the largest, and grabbed Sam's arm, pulling her out of the room and towards Apophis' chamber. 

********** 

"Receiving GDO transmission – it's SG-1 sir!" 

"Open the iris!" 

General Hammond watched in surprise that rapidly turned to shock when he saw only three members of SG-1 return, along with the Tok'ra Martouf. 

"Medical team to the gate room!" General Hammond rushed down the stairs to meet Colonel O'Neill. 

"What happened, Colonel?" he asked. "Where is Major Carter?" 

"She and her father were ringed up onto Apophis' ship, sir. There was nothing we could do at the time, so we came back for medical treatment and reinforcements." 

"Good, Colonel. De-brief in 1 hour?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Oh, Colonel? What was the damage situation on Vorash?" 

Jack shook his head. "It wasn't pretty, General." 

********** 

Apophis smiled evilly as Sam was dragged into the room and thrown at the floor. 

"We meet again, Samantha Carter of the Tau'ri. It was foolish of you to remain with your father when you and your team could have escaped!" 

"Yeah, so I've been told," she said, avoiding his eyes. 

"Your father is weak. I will enjoy letting you watch him die before I torture you to death." 

"Really?" asked Sam weakly, unsure of what else to say. 

"Jaffa! Bring the Tok'ra Selmak to me!" 

"Yes, my lord!" 

********** 

In the infirmary, Janet Frasier was taking care of the wounded Tok'ra Martouf. He had suffered too many injuries for his symbiote to heal naturally and was still unconscious. 

"How's he doin?" asked Jack, who was on his way to the briefing room. 

"His injuries were severe, Colonel. It's a good thing you got him back here when you did." 

Just then, Martouf opened his eyes. "Samantha!" he said, and sat bolt upright. 

"Take it easy, Martouf," said Janet, attempting to push him back down in the bed again and failing. 

"We must rescue her!" He said, growing more distressed by the minute. 

"Marty, we don't know where Apophis' ship could have gone! It'd be like searching for a needle in a haystack!" 

Martouf closed his eyes. It was then Lantash who spoke. 

"I will be able to pilot a ship and we will search for her! Apophis will torture and kill her, along with Selmak!" 

"But aren't they more valuable to him as hosts?" asked Janet. 

"Apophis will take great delight in torturing Selmak in front of Samantha, and vice versa. It will merely be a question of who breaks down first. Selmak was badly injured!" 

********** 

Sam winced as Apophis stuck the memory recall device roughly into her head beside her ear and adjusted it so that it was on the maximum setting. She heard Jacob being dragged in and his body thrown on the floor. 

Two more Jaffa entered, with an all-too familiar goblet of liquid in their hands. The Blood of Sokar. 

Sam struggled to keep her mouth closed but the Jaffa were stronger and once more they forced the thick liquid down her throat, holding her mouth closed. 

Her eyes stung and her throat burned as the foul, firey liquid descended into her stomach. The Jaffa removed his hand and she coughed, tears stinging at her eyes. 

"Now," said Apophis, "Tell me the location to which the surviving Tok'ra are fleeing!" 

"I don't know!" said Sam, and screamed in pain as a memory flashed into her mind. She remembered Jolinar being tortured, the agonising pain was dreadfully real. 

"I will ask you again, Tau'ri. Where is the location of the new Tok'ra homeworld?" 

"I don't know!" Sam shouted, "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell _you_!" 

She yelped again as another memory of torture flashed into her mind. She saw Apophis putting on his ribbon device and knew that more blinding pain could be expected. 

"You disappoint me, Tau'ri!" he said, and held the ribbon device above her head. 

The pain Sam experienced was excruciating. It was so bad that she could not open her mouth to scream. 

"You will pay for this, Apophis!" said Selmak in disgust and fear. "Leave the woman, torture me if you must!" 

Apophis took the ribbon device away from Sam and she collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. 

********** 

"So, it's decided then. As soon as Martouf is well again, you will return to Vorash and attempt to recover a Tok'ra ship. Then you will try to locate Apophis' vessel. If you succeed in locating him, you make contact with the SGC BEFORE you proceed. Is that understood, Colonel?" 

"Yes, General." 

"Good. Now, go and see how our guest is doing." 

"Uh, you mean, guests, don't you General? Martouf's symbiote might get a little pissed if he isn't included." 

"You know what I meant, Colonel." 

Down in the infirmary, Lantash (Martouf's symbiote) was growing more and more agitated. 

"Laying here will not bring Samantha and Selmak back to us! I must leave!" 

"Your host is still wounded," said Janet, "He needs time to heal!" 

"I will heal him with time," said Lantash, "But we are their only hope! Please, I beg you, let me go!" 

"I'm sorry, Marty, but until doc' Frasier says so…" 

"I am Lantash. _Martouf_ is the name of my host!" 

"Yeah. Sorry about that." 

"How soon will I be allowed to leave?" he asked. 

"As soon as Martouf can actually stand up again!" said Janet, walking off and leaving a very pissed off Tok'ra.

********** 

"You are weak!" spat Apophis, lowering Selmak to the floor using his ribbon device in just a few seconds. "Even the Tau'ri woman was stronger than you!" 

"Jaffa! Take them back to the holding room! I will deal with them again later!" 

"Yes, my lord! 

Sam eventually woke up back in the dark room, with her father at her side. 

"Dad?" she asked. When he did not awaken, she felt for his pulse. It was there, but very weak. She leant back against a wall, cradling her father's body in her arms, and allowing a small tear to slide down her cheek. Defeated, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, wondering what Apophis could possibly have in store for her when she awoke….

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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__


	4. End of the Line 4: Breaking Point

Title: End of the line (part four) Breaking point

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Following on from part three, Martouf aids in the rescue of Sam and Jacob, but will they get there in time? (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me. They are the property of MGM Worldwide, Gekko Film Corp and Double Secret Productions. No copyright infringement intended.

~ End of the line part four: Breaking point ~ 

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

********** 

Sam awoke to the familiar sound of heavy, metallic Jaffa footsteps. She had not managed to wake her father, and feared for his life. 

The door slid open, and two large Jaffa came in and moved towards her father. 

"Where are you taking him?" she asked. When the Jaffa did not answer her, she shouted, "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HIM?" 

"Apophis wishes to see him," said one of the Jaffa, and promptly whacked her around the head with his staff weapon. The heavy blow sent her spinning to the floor. 

The doors slid shut, and Sam passed out. 

********** 

"I must leave now!" said Martouf, getting up out of his bed, despite Janet's protests. 

"Martouf, I'm not sure that you're strong enough to…" 

"Lantash will heal me! For now, I must help Samantha!" 

"Hey, Marty!" said Jack, walking into the infirmary. "Feelin' better?" 

"I would feel better if I could be looking for Samantha and Selmak! There is no point in me remaining here!" 

"Well, doc' Frasier's nearly always right about medical matters, Marty, I'd listen to her if I were you!" 

"Then it is a good job that you are not I, colonel. If we do not depart soon, Samantha and Selmak will die!" 

"Marty, they've survived it before…" 

"Precisely, colonel. They have been tortured before, therefore Apophis knows their weaknesses. He will most likely kill Selmak first, in front of Samantha. Then he will probably use her as a host. This is the fate you chose for your friends in keeping me here!" 

"I'll have a word with General Hammond, then, but don't expect any miracles!" said Jack. 

"I am still against this, though," said Janet, "You suffered very severe injuries, Martouf." 

"I understand that you are concerned for my welfare, Dr Frasier, and for saving my life I am in your debt, but I must find Samantha. She and Selmak mean a great deal to me." 

"I understand," said Janet. 

********** 

Sam awoke to the taste of blood in her mouth. She put her hand to her head and it came away with a streak of warm blood on it. Her blood. She struggled to sit up, still dizzy from the staff weapon's heavy blow. She was nauseous, and the room span before her eyes. She could not see her father anywhere. 

"Aaagghh!" Jacob yelled as Apophis zatted him. 

"Tok'ra Shol'va! You will tell me where your pitiful race has fled! If you do not, I will kill your daughter!" 

Jacob moaned softly, pain overcoming him. 

"Jaffa! Kree! Bring me the Tau'ri woman!" 

"Yes, my lord!" 

********** 

The Stargate engaged. Martouf practically ran up the ramp and exited the gate on Vorash. He did not wait for Jack, Jonas and Teal'c, he just kept on running. 

"Hey, Marty!" yelled Jack, annoyed. "You wanna slow down a tad?" 

"If we do not arrive soon, we will be too late to save Samantha and Selmak!" he shouted over his shoulder. 

"He does have a valuable point, O'Neill," said Teal'c. 

Jonas puffed. All this exercise was making him hungry. 

"So, Marty, what exactly do you intend to do if we can't find a ship?" asked Jack. 

Martouf stopped running and thought for a moment. "I had not thought of that eventuality. I am much hoping that a ship still remains. If not, I do not know what to do." 

"Oh, great. You see that's what pisses me off about you Tok'ra! You talk first, think later!" 

"Colonel O'Neill, I do not believe this is the time for your opinions of the Tok'ra infrastructure. The lives of two of my friends are at stake here." 

"Three," said Martouf, "Including Selmak. Teal'c bowed his head in an apology, which was difficult whilst running. 

Jack wondered why Jonas hadn't said anything. He was normally too talkative for his own liking. 

"You okay, Jonas?" asked Jack. 

"Yes, colonel. I'm worried about Major Carter, sir. She's been a good friend to me, sir." 

Geek, thought Jack. 

********** 

Sam was thrown on her knees in front of Apophis. Wincing at the many pains in her weakened body, she looked up at Apophis. 

"Tau'ri. Your father has been extremely forthcoming." 

"I don't believe that!" said Sam, "My father and Selmak would never tell you anything! Neither will I!" 

Apophis laughed. "You have spirit, Tau'ri." 

"I'm not afraid of your torture!" she said, looking over at her father who leant against a wall, bleeding. 

"I thought not. But, Tau'ri, I doubt you will be so brave in the face of becoming a new host to one of my people." 

Sam swallowed. He had a point there. 

Apophis grinned evilly, knowing that he had now succeeded in scaring the crap out of her. 

"If you do not tell me what I wish to know, you will be the new host to my queen!" 

"Ammonet is dead!" said Sam. 

"My new queen," said Apophis, motioning to the Jaffa to prop Jacob up, so that he could see and hear everything that was going on. 

"You will tell me, Tau'ri!" said Apophis. 

Sam took a deep breath. "I would sooner die than become a host to a parasite such as you!" 

Apophis hissed. "You do not have that choice, Tau'ri! I shall do with you what I please!" 

********** 

"Yes!" said Martouf, with a smile of relief. He had discovered a large ship, almost identical to that which they had escaped from Netu in. How it had been missed by Apophis' forces he did not know, but all he could think about was finding Sam and Selmak/Jacob. 

The four men got aboard the ship, and Martouf sat at the controls. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, allowing Lantash to speak. 

"This will be a bumpy ride. I suggest that you remain seated until I say otherwise." 

"Yeah, whatever," said Jack, who remained standing. 

"I would sit down, O'Neill. Lantash is correct - you will fall down." 

"Yeah, whatever!" 

-thud- 

********** 

"Tok'ra! Hear me! Tell me what I wish to know, or I will turn your daughter into a host for my new queen!" 

"You son of a bitch!" spat Jacob, unable to move. 

"Don't tell him anything, dad!" said Sam. 

"I do not intend to, Samantha," Selmak answered. 

"I do not understand how a father could show such little concern for his own daughter!" said Apophis, "It is most heartless, Tok'ra!" 

"What the hell would you know about concern or love?" asked Sam. 

Apophis turned back towards her. "I know the love I had for my queen, Ammonet! That love was much greater than your inferior friend, Dr Jackson." 

"I don't think so!" said Sam. 

"My love for my son is another example," he continued, but Sam laughed weakly. 

"You've never even seen him!" she shouted, "And the only reason you want to find him is to kill him! Because he has all the knowledge of the Goa'uld! Well I tell you, you will not find him!" 

Apophis paused. "You know the location of my son?" 

Oh shit. 

"I…" 

"You will tell me, or I will kill you!" 

"Go ahead!" she said, "Rather that than become a host to your filthy queen!" 

Apophis' eyes glowed in anger. 

"Jaffa!" 

The Jaffa took Jacob between them, and hauled him to his feet. 

"Tok'ra, you will tell me what I need to know, NOW!" 

With that, Apophis raised his ribbon device over Sam's head and activated it. 

The intense, fiery pain ripped through her head again. Tears came to her eyes as she struggled against the pain. 

"Dad….don't….tell……him………….anything!" she gasped. 

Selmak looked on helplessly as Sam's body grew weaker and fell towards the floor, cruelly as in slow motion. 

"I…there were no Tok'ra survivors!" Selmak said desperately, feeling her host's inner distress. 

"You lie, Tok'ra!" said Apophis, and kept the device over Sam's head. 

Selmak retreated, leaving Jacob to watch in agony as his daughter was slowly killed before his eyes. 

"I…" 

"Dad……..don't!" she whispered weakly. 

Tears came from Jacob's eyes as he looked up at Apophis. "Please! Spare my daughter!" 

Apophis did not even acknowledge his presence. 

"I love you, Sam!" he said, tears falling down his cheeks. 

"I….love……you……too…………dad!" 

-TO BE CONTINUED- 

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	5. End of the Line 5: Nightmare Begins

Title: End of the line (part five) Nightmare begins

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Following on from part four, Jacob and SG-1 receive a nasty shock. But is all as it seems? (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part five: Nightmare Begins ~ 

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

********** 

"NO!" Jacob yelled, as Sam's body slumped lifelessly to the floor. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" 

Apophis laughed. "I would like to see you try, Tok'ra Shol'va!" 

Jacob crawled across the floor and pulled Sam's body into his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks and into her soft, blonde hair. He stroked his hand down her pale face and looked up at Apophis, anger in his eyes. 

"You will pay for this, Apophis!" said Selmak, trying to neutralise her host's anger. 

"A Tok'ra showing emotion towards a Tau'ri?" laughed Apophis, "You care no more for your host's daughter than you do for your host!" 

"You lie!" said Selmak, feeling her own anger rising. 

"Jaffa!" said Apophis, motioning towards Sam. 

"No!" said Jacob, falling weakly to the floor as Sam's body was pulled out of his arms. "Where are you taking my daughter? You son of a bitch!" 

"Silence, fool!" said Apophis, and threw Jacob across the room, with some help from his ribbon device. 

********** 

"Ow!" groaned O'Neill, rubbing a sore spot on his back. 

"Did I not try to tell you to sit down, O'Neill?" asked Martouf. 

"Uh…yeah, but you've told me to do things before and you've landed us in trouble." 

"Colonel, the lives of Samantha and Sel…" 

"Is it really Sam you're concerned for, or is it just the memories of your precious Jolinar?" 

Jack's sudden, angry outburst silenced Jonas and Teal'c. 

Martouf's eyes darkened. "I have a deep love for Samantha. Her memories of Jolinar are valuable to me yes, but I have come to treasure her presence and her love more than those memories." 

"And, doesn't Lantash have something to say about that?" asked Jack. 

"Lantash feels the same way about Samantha as I do." 

"Lucky woman," said Jack, sarcastically. 

"Just because you are jealous, O'Neill, it does not mean that Samantha would not be flattered." 

"Oh, yeah, she'd be so pleased to have a snake in love with her!" 

Martouf's eyes flashed angrily, and Lantash spoke. 

"I do not feel the need to continue this discussion further, Colonel. Your opinion has no bearing on my and my host's feelings for your friend Samantha." 

"Well, ya see, we're not exactly friends any more," said Jack. "We had an argument. I haven't spoken to her for days." 

To the surprise of everyone on board, Jack's last few words were tinged with sadness, not anger. He missed her too, he was just unwilling to admit it. 

********** 

Jacob huddled his body against the wall, grief still filling him. Selmak was as distressed as he was, but she realised her host's need for sleep. 

__

You must sleep, Jacob. 

"Why?" he asked, "It won't bring Sam back, will it?" 

__

She would not have wanted you to give up like this, Jacob. 

"Give up? Selmak, I just sat back and allowed my daughter to die! I could've told him what he needed to know!"

__

Samantha would not have wanted that. 

"How am I gonna tell Mark and the grandchildren?" he asked, tears spilling down his face, "Dammit, Sel, I killed her! I let her be killed! What kind of father am I?" 

__

It was not your fault, Jacob. You must rest in order for me to heal you. 

"I don't want to sleep," he said, "I want my little girl back again!" 

At that point, Selmak gave up and waited for her host's exhaustion and grief to take proper hold. It did not take long before Jacob was unconscious. 

********** 

"There!" said Martouf, "It is Apophis' vessel!" 

"Right. I'll contact George," said Jack, standing up and walking out of the room. 

"Uh…Apophis can't see us, can he?" Jonas asked, nervously. 

"We are in stealth mode," said Lantash, "However, in order to ring up Samantha and Jacob we will have to un-cloak briefly." 

"Isn't that a bit risky?" asked Jonas. 

"The risk is worth taking, in order to save Major Carter and Jacob," said Teal'c. 

Just then, Jack came back into the main bridge. 

"George says to wait for back-up, kids." 

"How long will it take for this back-up to arrive?" asked Teal'c. 

"I dunno. 24 hours at least," said Jack. 

"Samantha and Selmak will most probably be dead by then," said Martouf sadly. 

"That's not a very positive attitude, is it Marty?" asked Jack. 

********** 

Sam opened her eyes in horror. 

The all-too familiar doors of the sarcophagus opened and revealed an all-too familiar face looking down at her with an evil smile on his face. 

"You will soon become host to my new queen, Tau'ri!" 

Sam screamed, but Apophis clamped his hand over her mouth. 

"No one can hear you!" he grinned, but he was wrong…

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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	6. End of the Line Part 6: UTurn

Title: End of the line (part six) U-Turn

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Following on from part five, Jacob gets the surprise of his life, and will escape come in time? (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part six: U-Turn ~ 

Copyright © 2003, Ruth

********** 

Jacob sat bolt upright against the wall. 

"SAM?" he yelled. 

********** 

Sam strained against Apophis as he pulled her out of the sarcophagus, preparing her for the implantation of his queen. 

"Dad!" she yelled, breaking free of him and making a run for the door. 

Unfortunately, two large Jaffa quickly appeared there and hauled her back to Apophis. 

"I like spirit in my queen!" he laughed, immobilising her with his ribbon device. 

She was vaguely aware of being laid on a table, her shirt stripped from her back and neck exposed. 

********** 

Jacob sat by the door. 

"Sel, I'm sure it was her!" 

__

As am I, Jacob. 

"What can I do?" he asked. 

__

Attract the attention of the jaffa. If we can get a weapon off of one of them then we may have a chance. 

"Then what? We just make a run for it?"

__

I am as confused as you, Jacob. 

"Hey!" Jacob yelled, pounding at the door with his last remaining strength. "Hey!" 

__

We could be here some time. 

********** 

"We can use the cargo rings to transport onto Apophis' vessel, and hopefully free Samantha and Selmak," said Martouf. 

"Right. Uh…Marty, do we really have enough weaponry to defend ourselves?" 

"Apophis is not even aware of our presence, O'Neill. He will be caught by surprise!" Teal'c smiled. Any chance he got to kick the crap out of his ex-god he took, and he enjoyed. 

"Ok, people, to Oz!" 

"I do not understand that joke, Colonel," said Martouf in confusion. 

"It's just a reference to an old TV- forget it." 

********** 

Sam could see the black, writhing snake moving closer to her, in Apophis' arms. She closed her eyes in terror, wishing that he would stop making this so agonising and just do it. 

Just then, one of the Jaffa murmured something to Apophis and he abruptly put down the snake. 

"Jaffa! Guard her!" 

Apophis walked out of the room. Sam looked around her. There were two Jaffa. What she really needed now was for someone to provide a distraction…

"HEY! SOMEBODY!" 

********** 

"HEY! SOMEBODY!" yelled Jacob. 

__

This does not appear to be working. 

"Give me a chance, Sel!" 

__

Allright. But if this does not work, I…

********** 

"HEY! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?" 

One of the Jaffa guarding Sam grimaced in annoyance at the sound of Jacob's voice. 

"I will deal with the Tok'ra prisoner," he said, and walked out. 

Now all Sam had to do was figure out a way of disarming the Jaffa holding her captive – and she had to do it quickly. Suddenly, an idea came to her. 

"Uh…oh God!" she murmured, clutching her chest and trying to sit up. "Agh!" 

The Jaffa tentatively came over to where she laid and looked at her. 

"Oh, God!" she groaned. Just a little closer… 

"What is your ailment, Tau'ri?" he asked. 

"Hurts!" Sam gasped, laying awkwardly back down again, in the hope of fooling him. 

He came closer to her, and that was when she pounced. Kicking him in the stomach, she lurched herself up off of the bed and punched him in the face. This brought her time to grab his zat-nik'tel and shoot him with it. Then, adrenaline pumping fiercely around her body, she made a run for it. 

********** 

"What is it?" asked the Jaffa outside Jacob's door. 

"God, you gotta open the door!" said Jacob. 

I must say, that is a feeble attempt at getting him to free us. 

"Well, it's better than nothing!" 

"You are fully aware that I cannot – ARGH!" 

Jacob heard a mechanical buzz, like that of a zat, and the thud of a Jaffa body dropping to the ground. Then he heard the doors being activated. 

"Sam?" he asked. 

"Sorry," said Martouf, entering the room. "We thought she would be with you!" 

********** 

Sam sprinted down one of the long corridors, searching for the room where her father was being held. 

Suddenly, out of the blue, Apophis halted her escape. 

"You disappoint me, Tau'ri. I thought your friends knew better than to come aboard my ship!" 

Sam attempted to fire the zat at him, but he put his damned force field up, promptly training his ribbon device on her forehead and lowering her to the floor, deactivating it before he killed her. 

Then, he pulled her body into his arms and made his escape to another room. 

********** 

"Where would Apophis have taken her?" asked Jack. 

"Uh…I dunno, uh…oh God Jack!" Jacob was panicking, so Selmak promptly took over. 

"I believe he will take her to one of his smaller rooms, in order to torture her again." 

"But that's all?" asked Jonas. 

"At worst, he will try to turn her into a host." 

"WHAT??" 

"We must find her before this happens, O'Neill." 

"Yeah, Teal'c, I know that!" 

********** 

Apophis laid Sam out on a table and went over to his Jaffa. Slowly, he extracted the symbiote from within her and took it over to Sam.

"Does she please you, my love?" he asked. 

The snake writhed and slid closer to Sam, slowly travelling up the small of her back. 

It was at this point that Sam awoke, finding herself helpless and unable to move. 

She could feel the symbiote sliding up her back, coming to a halt at her neck. 

Apophis smiled evilly. 

The snake drew back it's head, and with one, powerful lurch, it entered Sam's neck. 

Sam screamed. 

********** 

"Sam!" Jacob yelled, distressed.

Jack picked up the pace of his running, towards the origin of Sam's scream. 

"Sam?" he asked. 

Martouf ran behind him, knowing deep down in his heart what had just happened to his friend. Lantash was as deeply distressed as Martouf. 

********** 

Apophis helped Sam to her feet, just as Jack, Teal'c, Jonas, Jacob and Martouf burst in through the door. 

He smiled evilly. 

"Sam?" Jack asked. 

"I'd like you to meet my new queen," said Apophis. 

Sam's eyes flashed as she smiled. 

Jacob collapsed to the floor in a dead faint. 

"My love, I will give you the honor of killing whichever Tau'ri or Tok'ra you wish. You need only decide." 

Sam paused in thought. 

"I choose…" 

-TO BE CONTINUED- 

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	7. End of the Line Part 7: Masquerade

Title: End of the line (part seven) Masquerade

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Following on from part six, things start to look up, then drastically go down again. (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part seven: Masquerade ~ 

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

********** 

"I choose you!" said Sam, her long, thin arm pointing at Jack. 

Jack swallowed. 

"Samantha! This is not you! Fight her!" yelled Martouf, only to be silenced when a Jaffa whacked him with his staff weapon. 

Apophis grinned. "Do what you wish with him, my queen." 

Sam's expression suddenly changed. She no longer had the evil glow in her eyes and she looked shocked at her appearance and the scene around her. 

Jack caught her eye and she looked at him. He understood the look – pleading him to help her. 

"My queen, what takes you so long?" Apophis asked. 

"I…I am deciding what to do with him, my lord." 

"Well make it slow and painful, my love. I must leave, but I will return and watch you kill him. Jaffa! Kree!" 

"Yes my lord," she said, barely louder than a whisper, unable to believe that he would just walk out of the room and leave her. 

The minute the doors slid shut, Teal'c aimed his staff weapon at her and turned it on. 

"Whoa! Teal'c, it's me! Sam!" 

He looked at her for a moment before disabling the weapon. 

"You have to get my dad out of here!" said Sam. 

"What about you?" asked Jonas. 

Sam swallowed. "I'm not me any more, am I?" 

"You are at the moment," said Jonas. 

"Jonas, she's strong. I can only keep control of my own body for a short time. You must take that opportunity and run!" 

"You're coming with us," said Martouf. "We can take you to the Tok'ra and have the symbiote removed!" 

Sam was incredibly distressed. "But…but what if I hurt anyone?" 

"We will take that chance," said Lantash. 

Jack held out some cuffs. 

"Wait, let me take this off," said Sam, removing her ribon device and throwing it to the floor, putting her foot on it and crushing the delicate metal. 

Jack cuffed her hands securely behind her back, but Sam could feel a change coming. 

"Oh, God!" 

"Samantha?" asked Lantash. 

"My lord! Unhand me! You shall pay for this insolence, Tau'ri!" 

Jack put his hand over her mouth to stop her shouting. 

"Now what do we do?" he asked. 

"We escape," said Teal'c, holding open the door and checking the perimeter. 

********** 

"General, we're going in. O'Neill out." 

General Hammond replayed the message and looked out of his office window at the Stargate. He hoped to God that his flagship team were okay. 

********** 

From afar, someone else was also watching events unfolding, trying not to become emotionally involved but failing. This person knew that their help was probably required right now, but they were unable to lend it. All they could do was wait. 

********** 

The rings activated just as several heavily armed Jaffa entered the room and began firing. 

"We gotta go!" said O'Neill, keeping a tight hold of the highly irritated Goa'uld in his arms. Teal'c took over from him as Martouf jumped into the pilot seat and engaged the engine, flying expertly away from the attacking ships. Jonas was tending to Jacob, who was yet to awaken from his collapse. 

"Release me, Shol'va!" Sam spat, struggling in his arms. 

"You will soon be removed from your host and left to die!" said Teal'c, with great amusement. 

"You will not!" she spat, "I am too valuable!" 

"The life of Major Carter is more valuable than any information you could give us!" said Teal'c. 

"You are making a grave mistake!" she said, trying once more to free herself from Teal'c's iron grip. 

"General Hammond, come in!" said Jack into the radio. 

"I'm receiving, Jack. What the hell is going on?" 

"Well, sir, we've got Carter. She's not quite herself, but we've got her. Oh, Jacob's here too." 

"You mean she's been possessed by a Goa'uld?" asked Hammond. 

In the General's office, Janet's hand flew to her mouth. 

"Yes, sir, but we're taking her to the Tok'ra. Martouf thinks they should be able to remove it." 

"Roger that, Colonel. Report back ASAP. General Hammond out." 

********** 

"We are nearing the location of the Tok'ra homeworld," said Martouf. 

"Where?" asked Jonas. 

"I cannot say, in case our friend hears us," said Martouf, indicating to the now silent Sam, who had been gagged to stop her from shouting. 

Jacob was now conscious, and looked over at his daughter's body in disgust. 

"You're gonna regret taking my daughter!" he said. 

Sam merely looked at him, then closed her eyes. When they opened again, however, they were tired and afraid. Sam was back. 

Jacob crawled across the floor to her. "Sam?" he asked. 

She nodded weakly, her head lolling back onto the wall in exhaustion. 

Jacob untied her hands and took the gag out of her mouth. Her breaths were rapid and ragged, and her eyes could not focus. 

"….Dad?" she asked. 

"I'm here, kid. It's okay, we're gonna get that damned thing outta you!" 

"But…" Sam began, but Jacob silenced her. "Rest. Save your energy!" 

She obediently closed her eyes. 

"Sorry, Sam, I'm gonna have to put these back on," said Jacob, putting the gag on over her mouth and re-tying her wrists. 

Sam's eyes opened and glared at Jacob, mouthing something beneath the material of the gag. 

"We are descending," Martouf announced. "I suggest you secure yourselves." 

This time, there was no argument from Jack. 

********* 

Teal'c and Jack held the intensely annoyed Sam between them as they walked through the Tok'ra tunnels. They had blindfolded her so that she could not give away any information if she somehow managed to escape. 

"We are looking for…." Martouf began. 

"Goa'uld removal?" asked the Tok'ra. 

"Yes," said Martouf, uneasy at the prospect. 

"Follow me," he said. 

********** 

The room was the same as any other Tok'ra room, apart from the flat bed and series of jars used to house the extracted Goa'ulds. 

"You may wish to leave the room whilst the procedure is being performed. It is extremely distressing for both symbiote and host." 

Jonas left without comment, his stomach rumbling. Jack reluctantly followed him. Teal'c, however, remained behind. 

"Teal'c, you may stay if you wish, but if it is only to torture the symbiote, I would advise you against it," said Martouf, "We do not wish Samantha to be harmed any more than is necessary." 

"I understand," said Teal'c. "I will restrain the prisoner whilst you perfrom the extraction." 

********** 

An hour later, the Tok'ra left the small room carrying a jar in his hands. It contained a very dead-looking symbiote. Jack took the jar out of his hands and looked at it. He soon realised that the symbiote wasn't dead, but was in fact trying to preserve itself. 

"It will be able to sustain itself for no longer than two days, O'Neill. Then it will die," said Teal'c. 

"How's Sam?" asked Jonas. 

The Tok'ra hesitated. "Her injuries were more severe than we had thought." At Jacob's distressed look, he added, "Samantha is strong. Her injuries will take a little time, that's all." 

********** 

In the room, Martouf was trying to make Sam more comfortable. 

He gently placed some pillows under her head and upper body, surveying her bruised body with great distress. He pulled a sheet over her body, trying to keep her warm, and sat down on the bed beside her. It was Lantash's soothing voice that spoke. 

"Samantha, the symbiote is gone. You have returned to us." 

He stroked a hand gently through her soft hair and wished that her beautiful blue eyes would open and look upon him once again. 

"Samantha, I love you," Lantash whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and gazing down at her. 

He sat up abruptly as Jacob entered. He realised that Sam's hand was still being held tightly in his, and carefully laid it down on the bed, covered with the sheet. 

However, both Jacob and Jack had noticed this. Jacob took a seat next to Sam and looked down at her. "Sooo…" said Jack awkwardly from the doorway. "What's, I mean, what…" 

"She was put through extensive torture at the hands of Apophis prior to the blending," said Lantash, "Which would have been equally, if not significantly more distressing for her. The bruises on her body indicate the use of both ribbon device and hands, and…" Lantash's voice trailed off. 

"He killed her, Jack," said Jacob. "Son of a bitch must've taken her to a sarcophagus and revived her." 

Jack swallowed. 

"As far as I know, it was just the once," said Jacob, "But I could be wrong about that." 

"Is she gonna be okay?" asked Jonas, edging out from behind Jack and looking at Sam. 

"She is weak," said Selmak, looking down at the daughter of her host, "But she has her father's strength." 

"I've gotta talk to General Hammond," said Jack, leaving the room quickly. 

********** 

"General, the Goa'uld is gone." 

"That's good news. How's Major Carter doing?" 

"Uh…she's not so good, sir. The Tok'ra say it could take a while." 

"I see. Tell me if anything important happens, Colonel." 

"Yes, sir." 

********** 

Three days later, Sam had still not woken up. They were beginning to get desperate. 

"How much longer is this gonna take?" asked Jack. 

__

"Don't be a heartless bastard"

Jack stopped, looking around him. "Did you just hear that?" 

"Hear what?" asked Jacob. 

__

"No, they can't hear me Jack. You're not imagining this, I just can't show myself to you"

Jack nodded, wondering if the two nights he had spent in the Tok'ra tunnels had affected his mind. 

__

"Jack, it's me, Daniel." 

"Excuse me a minute," said Jack, leaving the room. 

__

"You need to swallow your pride, Jack." 

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Jack. 

__

"I'm talking about your argument with Sam." 

"How the hell do you know about that?" asked Jack. 

__

"I've ascended, Jack. Doesn't mean I'm dead." 

"Why are you here, anyway?" asked Jack, beginning to get strange looks from several Tok'ra. 

__

"You should apologise to her, Jack. You know you want to, you're just letting your mannish pride get in your way." 

"Shut up!" said Jack. This time there was more than a few Tok'ra giving him looks. 

__

"She's weak, Jack. She doesn't have much time left. You need to tell her." 

"Are…are you saying she's gonna die?" 

__

"Tell her, Jack." 

"Daniel! Daniel?" 

There was no reply. 

"You get your glowy ass back here, Daniel!" he said. 

********** 

Martouf looked down at her sadly. Her condition had not improved in three days. This was not a good sign, and they all knew it. 

Suddenly, without warning, Sam opened her eyes. 

"Sam?" Martouf asked, a broad smile crossing his face. 

She managed a weak smile, but it exhausted her and she had to close her eyes momentarily again. 

"Hurts…" she murmured. 

"I know," Martouf whispered, "But you're going to be okay, Samantha." 

"I…I'm dying, Martouf." 

"No, you're not," said Martouf, choked. "Don't say things like that!" 

"I am……you know I am." 

"You're strong! Sam, you fought it!" 

"Apophis…………torture. Badly." She managed to get out. 

"I know," Martouf replied. 

"I……don't want……to die here. Want…..to go home." 

"Sam!" said Martouf, tears running down his face. 

"Please!" she begged. 

He looked at her in agony, turning to Jacob, who nodded. 

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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	8. End of the Line Part 8: Faith

Title: End of the line (part eight) Faith 

Rating: PG-13 WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH

Spoilers: The Devil you Know, Meridian

Summary: Following on from part seven, Sam finally finds peace with an old friend. (NB: 'Divide and Conquer' never happened, Martouf is still alive!) 

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

~ End of the line part eight: Faith ~ 

Copyright © 2003, Ruth 

********** 

The trip back to Earth was not a pleasant one. Because there was no Stargate on the Tok'ra homeworld as of yet, they had to travel by ship. 

Jack sat by himself looking out at the stars. The news was hard for him to take in. His 2IC, his former lover, was dying. What was worse was that it was happening fast, and she was running out of time. A tear slid slowly down his cheek as he realised that the last things he'd said to her had been unkind. 

Getting to his feet, Jack walked over to the door to see if Sam was alone. He sighed when he saw that Martouf was already in the room with her. He'd been in there for ages. 

********** 

Martouf was crying. Sam held his hand in hers and tried to quiet him. 

"It's okay," she whispered. 

"I…I love you Samantha!" said Martouf, bowing his head allowing Lantash to speak. 

"As do I." 

Sam was stunned. It was rare for a symbiote to share the same sexual emotions as the host, and she had not been expecting it at all. 

********** 

Outside the door, Jack looked away, holding back more tears. Marty loved her. He was a better man than Jack would ever be. Younger, more caring, more handsome…

__

Stop putting yourself down. 

"Daniel? Why do my friends always end up dying and leaving me?" 

__

I count two, Jack. They don't always leave you! 

"Yeah, and there's a third about ready to leave here, too." 

__

You still have Teal'c. 

"I know that, but I miss you, Daniel. I miss Charlie." 

__

I'm still here, Jack. Anyway, I'm sure Kawalsky's kicking butt in heaven. 

Jack allowed himself a small grin at the thought of Charles Kawalsky in a white dress playing a harp. 

__

Have you spoken to her yet?

"I haven't had a chance! Marty's still in there with her." 

__

Ask him if you can see her. She's your friend too! 

"I don't deserve to be called her friend, Daniel." 

__

Maybe not, Jack, but you are her friend. Besides, that 'don't deserve' crap is a matter of opinion. One I don't share with you! 

"Okay, Daniel, I'll talk to her." 

__

I'll be back. 

"Where are you going?" 

__

I have to speak to someone. Bye Jack. 

********** 

The door opened, and Martouf looked up to see Jack. 

"Yes?" he asked. 

"Could I speak to Sam, please?" Jack asked. "Alone," he added a moment later. 

Martouf nodded, got up and walked out of the room. 

Jack walked slowly over to Sam's side. He was shocked when he looked at her. Her face was pale, there were huge bags of exhaustion under her eyes and a scar across her cheek from a Jaffa staff weapon. 

"Hey Carter," he said softly. 

"Colonel," she smiled. 

"Couldn't ya at least call me Jack?" he asked, choking back a sob. 

"Jack," she corrected herself. 

"Listen," said Jack, "I know I've been a real ass these past few days Sam, and I just wanted to say…I'm so sorry!" 

Sam took his hand in hers and pressed it against her face. 

"I forgive you!" she smiled, "And I'm sorry too. I…I said some bad things." 

Jack finally allowed himself to cry. 

Sam was incredibly moved by this display of emotion from her CO, and pulled him closer to her. She felt his arms move around her back and sighed deeply. She was going to miss him so badly. 

Remembering what Martouf had told her, Sam took the chance to whisper in Jack's ear, "I love you." 

He pulled away from her a little to look into her face. 

"What about Marty?" he asked. 

Sam sighed. "I….i've known you longer, Jack. I've always felt safe with you, I've…" 

She got no further, because Jack placed a kiss on her lips. She returned it. 

Jack looked deep into her eyes. How he was going to miss the blue shimmering eyes of his 2IC, admired by many. 

Sam looked deep into his eyes, how she was going to miss the soft brown eyes of her commanding officer, the sarcasm, the jokes and the general childish behaviour. 

They held each other close for many minutes. Jack didn't even notice when the door slid open and Teal'c entered. 

"Teal'c," Jack said, with mild embarassment. 

"I merely came to see you, Major Carter," he said. 

"Come to say goodbye?" she asked. 

"You do not appear to be dead yet, Major Carter," said Teal'c. Sam smiled. 

"It has been an honor to serve alongside you," said Teal'c, bowing his head and placing a kiss on her forehead. 

"Same to you, Teal'c," said Sam, looking up at him with tired eyes. 

********** 

Two hours later, they were all together in the small room where Sam lay. Her condition had deteriorated, and they knew that it was time to say goodbye. Jack still held her in his arms, oblivious to the edgy glances from Martouf. 

Jacob had said his goodbyes to her earlier, and sat next to Jack with her hand in his. 

"Say hi to your mom for me, kid," he said between sobs. 

Sam nodded. She could feel everything growing dark around her, and squeezed Jack's hand in fear. 

Suddenly, the room was filled with a bright, white light. Jack shielded his eyes, and when the glow disappeared he was relieved to see Daniel. 

Daniel looked at Jack, and Jack slowly laid Sam down on the bed again. He moved away from her a little. 

Daniel looked down at his dying friend in distress. There was nothing he could do to prevent this, to help her to remain on Earth, so there was only one other thing he could do. 

"Jacob, with your permission, I'm gonna take Sam with me," he said.

"And Oma won't mind?" Jacob asked. 

Daniel shook his head. "That is what I asked her earlier. Sam is welcome to join Oma Desala's people." 

"In that case, it's okay," said Jacob. 

"We will see you again, right?" asked Jack. 

Daniel grinned. "Of course. After a while you might even get tired of us hanging around." 

"Never," whispered Jack. 

"Ok," said Daniel, "You might want to cover your eyes again." 

"Bye, Sam," said Jack, "I'll see you again soon!" 

"Love ya, kid," said Jacob. 

"I will be seeing you again," said Teal'c, wiping a tear from his normally dry eyes. 

"Goodbye, Samantha," whispered Martouf. 

Daniel took her weakened body into his arms, looking down at her closed eyes. She was barely alive - he didn't have much time. 

"Bye," he said. 

Slowly, the room filled with a bright light again. Jack strained to keep them open as he saw his two friends enveloped in a soft white blanket of light. Then, they were gone. 

__

I'll see you soon, Colonel…I mean Jack! 

THE END

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